A scent translated into art

Molton Brown asked three British artists to portray one of its iconic scents through their own vision. The three interpretations bring a deeper meaning to the collections and show just how personal every scent experience is.

Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel

Fragrance notes: Fig leaf, cardamom, bergamot, marine notes and cypress
Senior perfumer: Carla Chabert
Artist: Dr. John Cooper Clarke

A scent in a poem
The self-styled punk poet and comedian John Cooper Clark translates the fresh marine scent of Coastal Cypress & Sea Fennel into an evocative poem. He wrote it by hand and performed it in his signature rhythmic style. “It is astonishing how difficult it is to capture the world of scent properly in words,” says Cooper Clarke. “Scent is multidimensional and, without naming ingredients, all you can do is drift into memory.” Senior Perfumer Carla Chabert, daughter of Master Perfumer Jacques Chabert, drew her inspiration for the scent from a very specific source. “I built it around the colour blue,” she explains. “I used cold, icy elements for a fresh opening with a sea breeze; something very refreshing.” Just as Cooper Clarke recalls the tropical section of the botanical gardens in a seaside town. “I love anything that smells of the coast.”

Rose Dunes

Fragrance notes: Rose, pepper, saffron, patchouli and amber.
Senior perfumer: Philippe Paparella
Artist: Gala Colivet Dennison

A rose scent in a jewel
Jewellery designer Gala Colivet Dennison has interpreted the lush, spicy scent of Rose Dunes in a unique way. She combined her metalworking skills with richly coloured natural stones, inspired by the perfumer’s memories of his grandmother’s rose quartz and his time in Dubai. “It was a challenge to imagine how the rose crystal would smell. I had the colour and the sensation of heat,” she explains. “I wanted to bring a weaving process into it. For me the weaving technique symbolises infinity, just like the sand and the endlessness of the desert.” With a blend of rose and saffron, the scent captures the dry heat of the desert. “The more you wear the scent, the more you discover. It is an endless experience.”

Re-Charge Black Pepper

Fragrance notes: Black pepper, ginger, coriander, vetiver and oakmoss
Perfumer: Master Perfumer Jacques Chabert
Artist: Nicholas Daley

The warm pepper scent in a knit
The London fashion designer views the woody citrus scent of Re-Charge Black Pepper through the lens of his hand-knitted designs. The pieces, made in collaboration with his mother and her knitting group, reflect the synergy of scent, colour and texture, with the sharpness of black pepper as an interruption. “What really appealed to me was the pepper,” says Daley. “The oak wood, those very deep, natural scents.” The scent is a personal project of master perfumer Jacques Chabert, who has worked with Molton Brown for more than 30 years. He created Re-Charge Black Pepper without a brief and refined it over several years before submitting it. “Before you make a garment you have to understand its composition. Only once you know what is in the material, how it is woven and how it is structured do you begin to build.”